We all know the miracles that happened on Chanuka. The battle of the Chashmonaim, Mattityahu and his sons, the Maccabis, the miracle of the oil that was enough to burn for one night and lasted eight days.
There is another miracle that happened many years later.
Rabbi Yosef Caro, the author of the Shulchan Aruch asked a question in connection to Chanuka. The question has hundreds or more likely thousands of answers, but till today still continues to occupy Torah scholars and the laymen with new answers and insights.
The famous question is as follows. The Kohanim found one small jug of oil that was pure and had not been contaminated by the Yevanim - the Helenists. The oil was enough for one night. However it burned for eight nights, till they produced fresh new pure oil. If the first night wasn't a miracle because there was enough oil for that night, why do we celebrate eight days Chanuka? We should only be celebrating seven days in memory of the seven days of miracles?
Rabbi Yosef Caro himself gives three answers.
- The Kohanim split the oil into eight and even so the eighth lasted all night. So they had miracles all eight days.
- The Kohanim filled up the Menorah but every night the jug of oil remained full, even the first night.
- The Kohanim filled up the Menorah with oil and after the first night the oil hadn't got used up, the Menorah was still full the next morning.
Going back to what we saw from the Midrash we have another answer. The Yevanim went around smashing and contaminating all the oil. But whilst they were busy causing such destruction for the Jews, what was Hashem doing? Hashem was busy preparing their salvation and the miracles of Chanuka. Hashem already then made sure that one jug would remain unnoticed by the Yevanim. That jug would be pure and last 8 days. What a miracle!
Hashem was caring for us and preparing our special Yom Tov of Chanuka even before the Jews repented, even before the Chashmonaim started fighting. That miracle and message that we see in the hidden jug is possible the greatest miracle and most powerful message of the whole Chanuka.
